Hashtag Marketing On Twitter: What You Need To Know

Some use hashtags well and are able to reach a much larger crowd, while others abuse them and are seen as spammy.

By now, you’ve probably heard of hashtags, but have you ever thought about the true meaning of a hashtag?

I mean, there must be something behind them since thousands of Twitter users are using them on a daily basis, right?

Before we get into the nitty gritty details, it’s important to understand that with a proper hashtag marketing strategy you can boost engagement, boost traffic, and of course boost conversions.

Let’s get serious with hashtag marketing, shall we?

The power of hashtag marketing

For starters, hashtag marketing connects you to others with similar interests.

For example, using #socialmedia in your tweets will potentially connect you to thousands of Twitter users who use and search for that hashtag.

Businesses can also use a hashtag for brand recognition.

For example, when Hubspot was organizing the recent Inbound 15 event, hashtag #Inbound15 was used to keep the participants updated.

Another use for hashtags is Twitter chats. A simple example is #semrushchat and #bufferchat. The use of the hashtag ensures that tweets related to the chat are visible to everyone who searches for it.

But wait! What are the basics of hashtag marketing?

1. The usage of the # symbol before a relevant keyword

Instead of using the word “keyword” in tweets, the keyword is replaced with “#keyword”, which allows the tweeter to connect with others using the same hashtag.

For example, most social media marketers use hashtags to search for related information. As a marketer, hashtag marketing not only allows you to connect with others, but it also helps you increase your reach.

2. Usage of a hashtag in a tweet

Hashtags can be used anywhere in the tweet, as long as it doesn’t cause the tweet to go over 14o characters. However, they’re commonly found near the end of a Tweet.

3. Hashtags can only be used in certain situations

Have you ever wondered why your hashtags are not shown to others?

One of the examples would be that your tweet is either protected or private.

So if you want hashtag marketing to work, make sure you don’t set your Twitter account to private.

What are the best practices for hashtag marketing?

1. Avoid overusing hashtags

Sure, hashtags are great for increasing your reach, but you might want to reconsider using them in every tweet you publish.

Instead, use hashtags at the right moment and with the ultimate goal of providing value to your followers.

Additional information: Did you know that Twitter recommends using no more than two hashtags per tweet?

2. Branding using hashtags

This is done by many and the trick behind it is pretty simple. You need to choose one (yes, just one) specific hashtag that represents your brand or voice.

If you face challenges choosing a hashtag, try getting your team to brainstorm for ideas.

The hashtag needs to be short, memorable and most importantly, make sense. You need to choose a hashtag that logically represents your brand.

3. Using hashtags during Twitter chats - Best Practices

Hashtags are used in every Twitter chat for easy monitoring and for sending the right information to the right audience.

When you’re organizing or participating in Twitter chats, it’s important to include the associated hashtag. This ensures that you’re constantly seen engaging in the Twitter chat (plus, it makes it easier for the organizer to keep track of your tweets and responses).

4. Choosing the right hashtags

Hashtag marketing only works when you’re using the right hashtags. This means that the hashtags need to be carefully chosen instead of just creating one out of the blue.